The new iPhone 7, which boasts a waterproof cover, new camera technology and wireless headphones, is sure to lift that number even higher.

So why is one expert advising people to hold off on upgrading their favourite smartphone?

It's to do with the environment

American documentary maker Sue Williams says more than 50 million tonnes of e-waste will be generated this year alone.

And by the year 2020, 4 billion people will have a personal computer and 5 billion will own a mobile phone.

Her new film, Death by Design, looks at the environmental and health impacts of the tech industry and our love of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Is the need to upgrade our technology ingrained into our culture?

Yes, but it's not entirely the consumer's fault.

"The culture of consumption is one mostly created by the concept of planned obsolescence, or death by design, whereby the products you buy are intentionally designed to last only for a short period and then you will go buy a new one," Williams said.

"Regarding the electronics industry there has been, from the start, the idea that that cycle would be about two years — the time it would take the companies to come up with faster circuit boards and a very slightly improved model.

"So the big brands of all products we use — cars, clothes, chemicals, computers — are largely responsible for the fact that we are now facing the tipping point between consumption and the sustainability of our planet."

What's the environmental impact ?

"Think about what most people do with their old devices ... stick them in a drawer," Williams said.

"No-one really knows what to do with them because there is no organised, efficient and transparent way to dispose of them, at least in the US.

"And the amount of e-waste that will be generated this year alone is staggering — an estimated 50 million tonnes."

She said while companies like Apple and Dell offer recycling programs, it was not clear whether they had the capacity to deal with the vast amounts of returned devices.

Where does it end up?

China, India and Africa, according to Williams.

She said they were then broken down in unsafe ways where toxic chemicals end up in the water and air.

"After that they can travel around the world, free to do their damage to people and the environment," she said.

What is a major tech company like Apple doing about it?

An Apple spokesman did not directly respond to ABC's request about the claims raised in the film, but pointed to the website for information on its environmental programs.

It includes the fact that 93 per cent of the company's energy comes from renewable sources and its data centres run on 100 per cent clean energy and power.

In 2015 it started a Full Material Disclosure program for the chemical composition of every material in each of its products and it has removed mercury and arsenic out of its screens.

It also runs the Apple Renew program which lets you recycle devices at any Apple store or online.

So does Williams still use smart devices since making the film?

"Of course, I use them," she said.

"You can't really function today without them. I have an iPhone 6 and a MacBook Air. But I kept my iPhone 4 for as long as I could.

"I changed the battery twice but then some of the keys stopped working (like the letter 'S') so I gave in and got a new phone."

Can you still enjoy the convenience of a smartphone and lower your carbon footprint?

Williams said it's possible.

She said consumers could take action and demand greater transparency from brands about how they make their products, buy less often and take care of the devices they already own.

"And I want to make clear I am not anti-technology," she said.

"I love the convenience of having one device that does so many things for me — wake me up, make phone calls, text, email, listen to music, order food… but we are still in the very early stages of the digital age.

"We have been so seduced by smart marketing and by this myth of heroic entrepreneurship — the 'genius' of the likes of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates — that we haven't looked inside the industry and inside our devices to see how they are really made and unmade.

"And I made the film to try to do this."

So how can you actually make your technology last longer?

Williams tips include:

- Turn your phone on to airplane mode at night to preserve the battery

- Replace the battery in the phone instead of immediately upgrading

- Optimise your settings (this includes dimming your screen and using Wi-Fi rather than cellular network when accessing data to preserve the battery)

- Update your device with the latest software

- Avoid exposing it to high temperatures

- Remove it from its case when charging to avoid excess heat and damage to the battery

Death by Design will show in Australia at the Environmental Film Festival later this month.